Means for protecting vessels against torpedo attacks.



W. STEVENSON.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING vzssus AGAINST TORPEDO ATTACKS.

APPLICATIGN FILED NQV. 21, \917. 1,282,486. Patentedflct. 22, 1918.

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM STEVENSON, OF

MonEIsTown, NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING VESSELS AGAINST TORPEDO ATTACKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1918.

Application filed November 21, 1917. Serial No. 203,130.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM STEVENSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Morristown, in the county of Morris and State of- New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Protecting Vessels Against Torpedo Attacks, of which the following is a specification.

My object in this invention is to provide means for protecting vessels against torpedo attack so constructed that when not in use it may be readily drawn up out of the water, so as not to impede the progress of the vessel, and when in use it will receive the impact of the torpedo with the minimum of possibility of causing explosion thereof, and, if explosion does occur, without injury being imparted to the vessel.- To these ends I employ anetor net like element held stretched in a surrounding "frame, and to prevent the torpedo from penetrating the same I provide" for cushioning-the frame with springswhich will yield and so absorb the shock-of impact. These springs are supported by another frame or equivalent which is in turn supported by suitable arms attached (preferably pivotally) to the vessels side, and these arms may be telescopic and they have cushion springs resisting the movement of the second frame inward and serving, in

. case the war-head of the torpedo should opcrate or the torpedo should otherwise be caused to explode, to absorb the shock of the explosion so that the vessel would not be injured by the resultant force transmitted through one or more of the arms. My invention therefore contemplates stopping the tor edo without exploding it, if possible; an then, if explosion perchance does occur, causing the incidental shock to be absorbed before it can be transmitted to the vessels hull.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vessel provided with the improved means;

Fig. 2 shows the vessel in section, the said means being in operative position to resist torpedo attack;

Fig. 3 is an inside elevation of the structure a--c to be described in detail;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the two frames and the interposed cushioning means; and

Fig. 5 shows one of the telescopic arms and its cushioning means.

The improved means is arranged along each side of the vessel so as to protect vital parts, or, if desired, the whole length of the vessel as is shown in Fig. 1. Usually it will be constructed in sections, especially when any considerable part of the length of the ship is to be protected, all the several sections being substantially alike. A description of any one section will serve for any of the others.

a is a rectangular frame in which is suitably stretched and secured a net b strong enough, when the frame is supported against movement out of its own plane by yielding springs as will be explained, to resist puncture or rupture by a torpedo, or it may be a mine. Parallel with and opposite this frame and conforming in shape and size thereto is a rectangular frame 0. Each frame has projecting from it and secured to it a set ofrigid studs, bolts or equivalent (2, the bolts of one frame penetrating and sliding freely in the other, the separating movement of'th'e two frames bein limited by suitable stops (2 on the studs. ireferably the studs on one frame alternate with those on the other. I Coiled about each stud and interposed be tween the frames is a spiral spring f, the several springs maintaining the frames apart a distance determined by the stops 6. It will be noted that the several studs serve to support the frame a, frame 0 being supported in the manner now to be explained. At the four corners of the frame a and on its inner face are provided hinging lugs g. In corresponding arrangement there are provided on the side of the vessel It a set of four hinging brackets 11, each of which affords at y a stop. Connecting each lug on the frame a with the corresponding bracket 6 on the side of the vessel is an arm denoted generally in Fig. 2 by the character 70. Referring to Fig. 5, this arm includes two telescopic-members l and m, the tubular member of which has a slot a to receive a pin 0 on member m and limit the telesco ing movement of said members; the mem ers are provided with fixed collars go between which is interposed, coiled around said members, a spiral spring 9, Which normally holds the arm extended to the limit afforded by the slot n and pin 0, or substantially so. The outer end of member m is pivoted to :1 lug g on frame a by a, bolt 1 (Figs. 2 and 3) the inner end of member Z is pivoted to a bracket 1' by a bolt 8, and it has a stop 15 which, When the arm is in the position shown in Fig. 2 abuts the stop and holds the arm substantiallyhori'iontafiyf The structure including. the connected frames a0' andthe four arms 70 be" raisedand lowered parallel-lever fashion,

by any suitable means, for instance, the

Winch a shown in Fig? and cables '0 extending over pulleys w and attached at their ends to suitable parts of the apparatus. Thus, when the device is in 'use,'it Will stand more or less submerged, as shown in Fig. 2; when it is not'in use, it may be swungup against the'vessels side, so as not to impede her progress through the Water;

When the device is in use, if a torpedo or mine strikes the shield afforded by the'net and its frame the springs f Will yield, thus if possible to avoid explodingthe'cha'rg."

Should, however, an explosion occur, the shock thereof Would be absorbed by the springs f and the springs g, andtherefore not be transmitted through the arms I", With suflicient force to injure the vessels side. To this end it will be understood'that the springs fimpose very considerably less re sistance than the springs g.-

If desired, the inner frame a may also be provided Witha net 01 (Figre) so that should the torpedo or other obstacle pene- Gii pi'es of this patent may-be otta iiied lfor trate the net 5 it will be checked by the net 02.

Having'thnsfu'lly described my invention, What I claim as nevv and desire to secure by Letters ateiit', is:

In combination, With a vessel ,an open frame arranged outwardly thereo iii-anup right plane-and spaced from the vessel, a net stretched in the frame, supporting means for the frame attached to the'vesseland in eluding another open frame conforming in shape and size-t0 and arranged opposite and spaced from and inwardly-of the first frame, a set of studsprojectinghorizontally from one frame and penetratingrandarrailged to slide freely in the other frame, andl'uppe'r' and lower pairs of spaced telescopic arms each pivoted to the vessel at one end and 110 the second-named frame at the other, the pivots between each armand the vessel and said second frame being horizontal, arspring on' each arm interposed between, the telescoped members thereof and resisting in- Ward yielding ofltheouter arm"mem'ber-,- and other springs interposedbetween saidframes' and resisting inward yielding of the ffi'rst or outer frame, the latter: springs offering less resistance that 'thefirstsprings; V

Intestinlony whereof Iafiimmysignatur,

' WILLIAM STEVENSON; 

